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Hands-on: Xperia P

Hands-on: Xperia P

The new range of Xperia NXT smartphones has finally been unveiled with the new Xperia P and Xperia U rounding up the trio of Sony's next gen smartphones. We first saw the flagship Xperia S at CES and even sampled its SmartTag and DLNA capabilities earlier this year - the two phones round up the rest of the intended demographics that Sony seems to be targeting at. For starters, the Xperia P clearly stands between the S and the U in terms of positioning, in terms of specs and features. One noticeable difference is that the Xperia P is equipped with a 4-inch Reality Display, which sits in between the Xperia U's 3.5-inch display and the 4.3-inch screen on the Xperia S.

The important overarching theme however, is the emphasis on content sharing and NFC connectivity; all phones allow access to Sony Entertainment Network via two services called Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited (subject to availability by region).

Here's the key highlights of the Xperia P, followed by a video demonstration of the Xperia smartphone.

Key highlights of the Sony Xperia P

Android 2.3 (Upgradable to Android 4.0 ICS during Q2 2012)

4-inch qHD Reality Display with Sony WhiteMagic Technology

STE U8500 1GHz dual-core processor

16GB Internal Storage

8-megapixel camera / 8x digital zoom / 3D Sweep Panorama

NFC / HDMI / Wi-Fi / DLNA

1305 mAh battery

120g

122 x 59.5 x 10.5 mm

Silver, Black, Red

Availability: Q2 2012

Overall, the Xperia P feels like a multimedia-centric variant of its cousin, especially with its WhiteMagic technology and SmartDock compatibility. The phones in the NXT range look almost identical to each other in terms of design and construction (save for the screen size) and we have to say that the Xperia P looks and feels as polished as its flagship cousin, the Xperia S. The device is light at 120g and pretty thin at less than 11mm thick, which proved to be an easy and natural fit in our hands.

The Sony Xperia P will be available in black, silver and red at its launch. Global availability is said to start from Q2 2012 onwards although details on its price has not been revealed yet. Most certainly, it will be priced at a lower price point than the Xperia S and higher than the Xperia U.